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Growth of Thin Film Water on α-Al2O3 (0001) and its Implications for Ice Nucleation

Thomas, Alyssa C.

Abstract Details

2009, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, Chemistry and Biochemistry (Arts and Sciences).
The structure and morphology of the initially forming water film on a hydroxylated α-Al2O3 (0001) surface was investigated with attenuated partial internal refection (APR) infrared spectroscopy. An infrared signature due to interfacial water that is different than multilayer water was detected and it shows that water does not fully wet the surface even when the amount of water adsorbed on the surface is equivalent to 7 monolayers. This suggests that water incompletely wets the surface and grows as droplets on the surface. Only active sites of unknown structure on the α-Al2O3 (0001) surface are found to heterogeneously nucleate ice. Growing pods from ice crystallites that touch neighboring water droplets propagate nucleation. The α-Al2O3 (0001) surface is not an effective nucleating agent. The ice nucleation mechanism is driven by evaporation of water droplets on the surface in a constant contact area mode. The ice crystallites grow by mass vapor transport due to the evaporation of droplets in this regime.
Hugh H. Richardson, PhD (Advisor)
P. Gregory Van Patten, PhD (Committee Member)
Jeffrey Rack, PhD (Committee Member)
Martin Kordesch, PhD (Other)
107 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Thomas, A. C. (2009). Growth of Thin Film Water on α-Al2O3 (0001) and its Implications for Ice Nucleation [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1241027431

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Thomas, Alyssa. Growth of Thin Film Water on α-Al2O3 (0001) and its Implications for Ice Nucleation. 2009. Ohio University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1241027431.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Thomas, Alyssa. "Growth of Thin Film Water on α-Al2O3 (0001) and its Implications for Ice Nucleation." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1241027431

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)